My Exchange Semester in St. Catharines, Ontario

Neuhauser B. (2017/18)

BROCK UNIVERSITY

Brock is a rather big university with about 18.000 students in total and it hosts several hundred international students each semester. At the beginning, I thought I would never be able to find all of my lecture halls, but the private tour around campus I got during orientation week helped me to settle in. There are several eating possibilities on campus, such as Subway, Sushi places and the Guernsey market, where you can find everything from Burgers to Burritos. The absolute highlight of Brock are the extensive sport facilities. Next to a gym you can find a swimming pool, squash courts, climbing contraptions and much more. There are also several specific clubs, such as a debate club, one has the opportunity to join. The courses are quite time-‐consuming though, as each course includes a lecture and a seminar and, therefore, a graded exam, a paper and a presentation. In sum, Brock is a very modern and well-‐equipped University where you will be challenged to your advantage!

LIVING IN ST. CATHARINES

It took a few weeks until I finally found a place to stay off-campus, but in retrospect it was totally worth it. The prices on campus are disproportionally high and the bus system in St. Catharines is very convenient, which is why it did not bother me at all to not live right next to Brock. I stayed in ‘Queenston Residence’, which is only one of many student-‐living residences in downtown St. Catharines. There are several cafes, bars and restaurants on the main street and also a performing art center which offers concerts, movies and shows. My favorite place to hang out on warm autumn days was the beach at Lake Ontario from where you can see Toronto on clear days.

ONTARIO AND QUEBEC

St. Catharines is not only excellently located to see Niagara Falls (20 minutes away), but also the most important cities in the area such as Toronto (1 ½ hours away), Ottawa (6 hours away) and Montreal (8 hours away) – I know 8 hours sounds quite a lot, but one has to consider Canadian realities. Ottawa has several beautiful castles and great museums and walking around Parliament Hill is an absolute must do. Montreal is a very modern city and its French touch makes it irresistible. It was very interesting to observe the cultural differences between Ontario (English Canada) and Quebec (French Canada).